New model army: the best new cars to buy in 2024
Stilettos to the metal! Muddy’s gone the extra mile to round up the best new cars on the market this spring and summer – from nippy city run-arounds to family-friendly people carriers, luxury electric SUVs and even the latest supercar (well, we can dream).
SMALL CARS
Fiat Panda
Launch date: July
Seats: 5
Price: From £13,724
The diminutive Fiat Panda has been a good option for those seeking a cheap, tough runabout for a while now (it was my first car as a teenager in the Eighties!) and the current incarnation has been around for over a decade – a lifetime in car design. Fortunately, that should all change come July, when an all-new version of Fiat’s popular city car is set to be launched. Little has been revealed about the new compact Italian car yet, but you can expect a few SUV-like styling cues, plus hybrid and electric powertrain options.
Launch date: Petrol: available now, Electric: April
Seats: 5
Price: From £23,135
Mini has honed its classic Mini Cooper to reveal a pared-back fifth iteration that is all sleek lines, clean surfaces and balanced proportions.The nippy three-door hatchback (it’s slightly more compact than before) comes in three trims – Classic, Exclusive and Sport – and can be personalised to suit your budget.
This spring, Mini is launching an electric model too, the Cooper E, which has a range of just under 200 miles on a single charge.
Launch date: Petrol: February, Electric: May
Seats: 5
Price: From £29,335
Say hello to the most grown-up member of the Mini family. The new Mini Countryman, and its debut electric version, the Countryman EV, are billed as the brand’s biggest and most practical cars to date. That’s 13cm longer, 8cm higher and with 25% more cargo space in the boot.The interiors have been refreshed with high-quality fabrics that are easy to clean – perfect for little ones’ sticky fingers – and the control panel is a snazzy voice-activated circular touchscreen that you can personalise with photos from your iPhone.
Launch date: Spring (tbc)
Seats: 5
Price: From around £18,500
Great value and small enough to fit into tight parking spots, the nippy little Suzuki Swift is a popular choice for urban runs – and now it’s had an upgrade. Its new look includes a smart black grille and wraparound-style headlights, while inside there’s a better-looking dashboard fitted out with dual-tone plastics and much-improved touchscreen technology.
With an expected price-tag of around £18,000, it won’t break the bank.
MID-RANGE
Launch date: May
Seats: 5
Price: From £37,495
The French brand’s new Scenic E-Tech is a spacious five-seat electric family car – it blurs the lines between a very big hatchback and an SUV.It’s reasonably priced too, and its larger battery option gives it an impressive range of up to 379 miles between charges. Renault says a 30-minute charge-up will give two hours of driving at motorway speeds – but while you wait, you can put the car into ‘relax’ mode and, if this option is fitted, it can even give you a massage.Anything to make Bank Holiday getaways less stressful… yes please!
Launch date: Mid-2024 (tbc)
Seats: 5/7 options
Price: From £34,760
The Skoda Kodiaq could be just the ticket for big families looking for a value-for-money car that can carry seven people and has a decent boot. The new model is slightly longer and has been styled up with a bold new look – bright LED headlights and more aggressive front and rear bumpers.It comes with either petrol or diesel engines, plus a plug-in hybrid version. As it can be either front- or four-wheel drive, it’s a great all-rounder.
SUVS
Launch date: April 2024
Seats: 5
Price: from £68,975
Audi’s Q6 e-tron is zooming into the hotly contested electric SUV market as a rival to the likes of the Porsche Macan. The Audi Q6 e-tron has everything else to compete with its SUV rivals: rapid charging, state-of-the-art digital controls and a whopping 590 litres of storage space, split between the boot and a handy front compartment.The price tag is (slightly) less alarming than a Porsche SUV too.
Launch date: March
Seats: 5
Price: from £40,515
BMW says the latest reboot of its popular BMW X2 is designed to make everyday life more exciting, sportier and more comfortable – we’re totally down with that! This family-friendly SUV is now more spacious with the stylish interiors and state-of-the-art digital navigation and entertainment features you’d expect. If you’re looking for a greener option, two (slightly pricier) fully-electric BMW iX2 models are available with a 266-mile range.
Launch date: First half of 2024 (tbc)
Seats: 7
Price: From £50,000 (estimated)
If you want to stand out while cruising down the M4, the new Hyundai Santa Fe will certainly hold its own. This rugged 4×4 is a large SUV designed in a square, blocky shape that gives it a distinctive modern appearance and – bonus – a huge amount of interior space. There will be two options to choose from, both with a 1.6-litre turbo engine: a hybrid or plug-in hybrid, with a 360-mile range if you go all-electric.
Launch date: Available now
Seats: 5
Price: from £59,995
The new all-electric Lexus RZ is ideal for zippy commutes – and then some – with an impressive range of up to 271 miles. Charging is super-convenient, too, taking just half an hour to power up the 71.4kWh battery to 80 per cent.
Oh, and as well as being a bit of a head-turner, with a futuristic panoramic glass roof, the Lexus RZ is comfortable. Its design is inspired by an ancient form of Japanese hospitality called Omotenashi. Muddy feels right at home.
Launch date: Spring
Seats: 5
Price: from £45,850
The Peugeot 3008 is already a stylish family SUV. But is has evolved again for its latest model, the Mk3 3008, and it is now sportier and more coupé-like than ever with a sloping roofline, funky wheel designs and sharp body lines.
For those with kids and lots of luggage, the 520-litre boot space is the same as the previous model, and the interiors have been given a quality makeover.
This Spring Peugeot launches an EV model – the all-electric e-3008 – and Peugeot plans to eventually add a plug-in hybrid model to the range too.
Launch date: Spring
Seats: 5
Price: From £75,900
Swedish manufacturer Polestar (the sister brand of Volvo) is injecting a dose of va va voom into the high-end SUV market.
The Polestar 3’s twin motors pack enough punch to get it from 0-62 mph in under five seconds, and there’s a Performance Pack add-on option for those who want to get there even faster.
Throw in luxuries like soft-closing doors, cabin air filtration, heated rear seats and a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins stereo and you can see why the Polestar comes with an luxury price-tag to match.
Launch date: 2024 (tbc)
Seats: 5
Price: From £69,800 to £95,000 for the Turbo
Porsche’s second bestselling model globally (after the Cayenne) has gone electric for the first time after ten years on the market.
Designs unveiled in January revealed the all-electric Porsche Macan combines sports-car-like performance figures (0 to 60mph in 4.9 seconds) and super-fast charging – that’s just 21 minutes to charge to 80% capacity under ideal conditions.
Its manufacturers say it will be the sportiest model in its segment, with a Macan Turbo model for petrolheads. We won’t argue with that – watch out BMW and Tesla.
Launch date: Available now
Seats: 7
Price: From £96,225
Volvo fans rejoice – the EX90 is the Swedish car-maker’s poshest and safest model yet. While the exterior is reassuringly familiar, the inside of this seven-seater is anything but. Volvo calls the EX90 a highly advanced computer on wheels.
Its safety features include 30 in-car sensors to detect obstacles and help prevent crashes, and its three rows of seats are upholstered in recycled and sustainable materials.
There are plenty of USB points in the back too, so kids can plug in their devices to occupy long journeys (no judgment here).
ALL-OUT GLAMOUR
Launch date: Later in 2024 (tbc)
Seats: 2
Price: Expected to be high six figures (tbc)
Aston Martin showed a prototype of its latest supercar in the latest James Bond movie No Time to Die – and now the Valhalla is gearing up for production to give Ferrari a run for its money. Turbo-charged technology honed by Aston’s F1 team means the Valhalla – Aston’s first hybrid model – is tipped to have a top speed of 217 mph and can hit 62 mph in 2.5 seconds. Okay, it’s a bit much for the school run – but this racy number will certainly create a stir at the school gates.
And if you can bear the wait, here’s three cars coming out later this year and in early 2025 to keep an eye on…
Launch date: Early 2025
Seats: 5
Price: From £35,000
The new Mini Aceman is a small SUV alternative to the new Mini Cooper Electric, and smaller than the Mini Countryman. It’s also the first Mini to be only sold as an electric car with a potential range of up to 250 miles – no petrol models will be available.
Edgy, modern styling on the outside is backed up by a minimalist interior designed around a high-tech round central touchscreen display. It will have eco-friendly textiles too: Mini promises no leather or chrome.
Launch date: Later this year (tbc)
Seats: 5/7
Price: Expected to be from £125,000
There is so much anticipation about the Range Rover Electric, there’s already a waiting list of 16,000 – and counting – among the well-heeled Shires Set keen to be the first to own one.
It’s a pure EV version of the luxury car that promises ultra-fast battery charging and high-octane performance. Range Rover also promises better towing, wading and off-road performance than any other luxury electric SUV. The catch? Put your hand behind the sofa and pull out £125,000.
Launch date: Early 2025
Seats: 5
Price: Around £22,000 (tbc)
It’s back to the Seventies for the retro design vibe of the new Renault 5 E Tech electric car – but its technology is firmly in 2024.This rebooted classic has a choice of two electric motors, and the more powerful one does 0-62 mph in under eight seconds and charges to 80% in 30 minutes. While this popular run-around is still a supermini (under four metres long), Team Renault say it’s roomy as a Renault Clio, with a decent 277-litre boot. Tick!
